Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Ureteroceles are a thin cyst-like out-pouching of the ureter opening to the bladder beyond the ureterovesical junction, associated with febrile urinary tract infections, urinary retention, and renal obstruction or injury. Ureteroceles are often detected during fetal development and are treated after birth. Ureteroceles can be detected during prenatal or postnatal ultrasonography, either incidentally or during investigation of related symptoms such as hydronephrosis. The diagnosis of ureteroceles most commonly occurs in the pediatric population, after workup of a urinary tract infection (“UTI”), bladder outlet obstruction, or abdominal pain. Treatment varies with ureterocele form and severity of symptoms. Current methods to treat ureteroceles include open surgical reconstruction, endoscopic puncture of the ureterocele wall, and observation. Endoscopic puncture is favored over open surgical reconstruction if treatment is needed due to its minimally-invasive approach. Specifically, endoscopic puncture involves inserting an instrument through the urethra to the bladder and utilizes an electrode or laser to create one or more small incisions to decompress the ureteroceles and relieve obstruction of urinary flow. While this technique is less invasive than open repair, instrumentation may seed bacteria into the urine and lead to a UTI. Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the use of general anesthesia in children, especially neonates. In addition, this procedure is typically done after birth at which point kidney damage, caused by chronic urinary obstruction, may already be evident. Individual cases of treatment in utero have been reported, but are uncommon.